Study Buddies
by keridolphin9
Summary: When Percy saves Annabeth from a nasty library fine, she soon becomes his tutor. Percabeth AU. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series. All rights belong to Rick Riordan, whose work we all love so much.**

* * *

Annabeth heard someone clear their throat, but she didn't pay them any attention. She had a research report to study for.

"Um... excuse me?", someone asked. Annabeth really wasn't in the mood. Her report was due tomorrow, and she still had five other documents to find! Well, she actually already had ten documents, and the requirement was two, but that was beside the point. She stared at her book harder.

"Hello?", the voice repeated. Annabeth couldn't believe it. He was still talking. She sighed and looked up.

"Oh, so you can hear me! Great, that's great...," the boy with the black hair said, rubbing the back of his neck. Annabeth simply stared at him. "Oh, well, I just wanted to let you know that some girl came by and stuck like five books in your backpack, and I'm guessing you don't want a fine from the scary librarian, so..."

Annabeth cleared her throat and looked in her backpack. Sure enough, there were five large books in her backpack plus a few brochures. One of the brochures was titled, "How to Connect With Those Your Age, for Those Who Are Socially Challenged". Annabeth groaned, "Did you happen to see who did this?"

The boy looked around, nodding his head. "She was just here, but I think she's gone now. I don't know, the girl looked pretty intimidating, she was tall and had brown hair and a mean scowl on her face."

Annabeth simply sighed and stood up from the table, grabbing all the books. "Yeah, I think that was Clarisse. She has a thing for making me feel like I don't know how to socialize with other humans."

"Well, you seem to be doing fine to me," he said, smiling. He followed her to the librarian's desk where she set the books and brochures down. "You're just gonna leave those books there?"

"Sure, why not? Ms. Smith knows me, so she won't mind. By the way, what's your name?" She stared at him without breaking eye contact, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't intimidated by her. He didn't see how anyone could bully her.

"Percy Jackson, and you?"

"Annabeth Chase. Thanks for informing me about the books, otherwise I would've had a backpack that was twenty pounds heavier."

"It already looks pretty heavy to me," Percy said as Annabeth heaved her backpack onto her shoulder. He couldn't really believe she had actually just used "informed" in a casual way.

"Well, the bell's about to ring...I should probably go," She looked at her watch and then at the door of the library. She seemed anxious to leave.

"Yeah, me too...See you around?"

"Yeah, for sure. See you." Annabeth walked towards the door, and right before leaving turned her head to look at Percy. He waved with a big smile on his face at her from across the library. She shook her head and headed out the doors, possibly stifling a smile.

"Waving at her? From across the room? _Really?_ " Grover laughed and slapped Percy on the shoulder. "Smooth moves, Perce. I'm taking notes on how to pick up girls as we speak."

"Actually, last I heard, you were the only one speaking..." Percy collapsed into the chair, lightly groaning. "Did it really look that bad? She seemed really smart, and I just made myself look like an idiot..." Percy turned towards Grover with a serious expression. "Okay, so if 10 is James Bond, and 1 is Urkel, how bad was it?"

Grover pondered the question, stroking his goatee. "I'd say maybe a solid...4? If I get to eat your lunch tomorrow?" Grover smiled hopefully and raised his eyebrows.

Percy scowled, "No way, man. Tomorrow's Taco Tuesday. I wouldn't trade that for an 11." They both jumped a little as the loud bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. Percy asked, "Remind me again why we were in here today? This is the first time I've been in the library all year."

Grover responded as he picked up his backpack, "Because Jessica Watson eats in here, that's why. And she's definitely been checking me out lately."

Percy simply smiled. "Yep, I'm sure she has." They both headed out of the library and went their separate ways to class.

* * *

Annabeth turned the corner and immediately ran into something very large- or someone very large. She looked up.

"Well, hi there, Smartypants! Fancy seeing you here!," Clarisse glowered at Annabeth, attempting to intimidate her. Annabeth simply glared back with more intensity.

"Well, it _is_ my locker, Clarisse," Annabeth stated calmly, still not breaking her glare with Clarisse. Clarisse's cheeks seemed a little pinker than they were a moment before.

"Yeah...I mean...That's beside the point. Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here?" Clarisse stared at Annabeth, waiting for some kind of movement. Annabeth, however, didn't give her the satisfaction. Clarisse continued, "Whatever. I'm here because I saw some guy stick a note in your locker, and since I didn't want to break in, I figured I would just... _ask_ you to tell me what it said instead."

Annabeth practically scoffed at her, replying, "Oh yeah, I'm sure you're _asking_ me. It was probably my Physics lab partner giving me his home address," Annabeth lied, putting on a blank face. She had no idea why someone would stick a note in her locker, and _yes_ , she actually was curious. But only a little bit.

"Okay, then let's find out, Chase," Clarisse replied with an expectant stare. Annabeth begrudgingly opened her locker and found the note, knowing Clarisse wouldn't leave her alone without knowing what it said. She figured she might as well tell the truth. Annabeth opened the note and found that it said:

 _Hey Annabeth, it's me Percy. The guy from yesterday in the library who told you about the books...yeah...Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you could help me some time with my math or Physics (or both!) homework because you seem really smart and I would_ _really like to get to know you better. I usually sit at the lunch tables at lunch (surprising, I know) so if you'd like to help me just come by and let me know, or shoot me a text. My number is XXX-XXX-XXX. Hope to hear from you soon, Percy._

Clarisse read the note over her shoulder, and smiled. "Wow, looks like _Annie_ 's finally making friends! Too bad it's only because she's decent in math! Maybe next time ask your boyfriend to write less." Clarisse then sauntered off with a laugh and a final glare back at Annabeth.

Annabeth sighed, putting the note in her pocket. As the bell for fourth period rang, she headed off towards ASB. While it may seem lame, Annabeth was only in ASB so she could be president to boost her college apps. She walked into the room, dreading another day discussing a dance she didn't really feel like attending.

* * *

After ASB, where Mrs. Crum insisted Annabeth go to Homecoming, Annabeth searched for her friends at the lunch tables. She didn't sit with them all the time because she would occasionally (or often) study in the library. But today she wasn't quite up to studying, plus she had to talk to Percy. She sat down at the table with Hazel, Piper, and Reyna. "Hey guys," she greeted her friends.

"Hey! Look who's still alive!" Piper replied with a grin. "I'm glad you're here today, Annabeth, because we have some very important things to discuss."

Annabeth sighed, knowing whatever tyrant Piper was about to go on would be a long one. "Is that so?" she replied. "What's so very important?"

Piper rubbed her hands together in excitement and elaborated. "Homecoming is approaching, and it's girls ask guys, and I think I might ask Jason. Thoughts?"

Annabeth grinned, nodding her head yes. "Jason Grace? I think he's in my history class. But, yes! Do it! You guys would be great together."

Piper's eyebrows furrowed, and she seemed concerned. "Are you sure? Because I'm not so sure..."

Annabeth, Hazel, and Reyna all disagreed with her immediately, prompting her to ask Jason to the dance. Finally, Piper realized they were right. "Alright, I'll do it this week. Maybe. I'm not sure."

Annabeth nodded and stood up, saying, "Excuse me, guys, but I'll be right back. I just need to go talk to someone briefly." The girls nodded and went back to their conversations. Annabeth looked around the lunch tables, trying to find the same head of black hair she had met in the library. She spotted him a few tables away and started walking.

As she approached the table, Percy turned around and smiled. "Hey, Annabeth. I'm guessing you got my note?" He said uncertainly. He seemed a little pink.

Annabeth nodded and pulled it out of her pocket, replying, "Yeah, I did. I can definitely tutor you, I'm free Wednesdays after school, if that's ok? Also, could we do it at your house? Mine's not...it's just not. So?"

Percy eagerly nodded. "Yeah, Wednesdays sound great. Starting tomorrow?" Annabeth nodded. Percy smiled, "Alright. If you text me then I'll respond with my home address."

Annabeth smirked, saying, "Wow, you must really want my number. That's the second time you've asked." Percy's neck immediately started turning red and his eyes opened more. Annabeth stifled her laughter, figuring it would be rude.

Percy mumbled, "Uh. Um... Yeah...Wait-no! Well..." Percy stared at Grover with a desperate and silent plea for help. Grover smirked back.

Annabeth stared at Percy with amusement in her eyes, replying, "Woah there, Percy, relax. It was a joke. I'll text you later today, I try not to use my phone at school. See you later. " Annabeth walked back to her table, leaving Percy with Grover again.

Once again, Percy groaned. Grover chuckled, "Hey, at least this time you didn't wave at her. But you're gonna have to work on that blushing situation."

Percy glared at Grover and put his head on the table. "Did you hear what she said? She doesn't use her phone at school. That's so _cute._ She's gonna be the death of me...".

* * *

When Annabeth got home, she pulled Percy's note out of her pocket and dug her phone out of her backpack. Opening the messaging app, she typed in Percy's number and typed out a quick message, before she could hesitate.

 **A: Hey Percy, it's Annabeth. Can I have your address for tomorrow?**

Annabeth felt her phone vibrate a few minutes later. She wasn't used to someone replying so quickly, mainly because she tried to avoid texting anyone.

 **P: for sure, it's 4837 olive lane. does right after school sound good?**

 **A: Yes, that sounds great. I'll see you then.**

Annabeth got her textbooks out of her backpack, deciding to study some before getting wrapped up in one of her favorite novels. If she was being honest, she was a little excited for tomorrow. _It's just tutoring_ the rational side of her said, but she still felt like it would be somewhat enjoyable. Percy was very... different than most of her friends. Mainly because he wasn't a girl or a bookworm, but in other ways too. With that thought, Annabeth continued to study her Chemistry textbook and go over her notes again.

* * *

By the time the last bell of the school day rang, Annabeth was ready to go home and scream into her pillow until summer finally graced her with its presence. Not only had she been unsure on her Chemistry quiz, but Clarisse had taken it upon herself to taunt Annabeth every time she raised her hand in class. Considering Annabeth was the star student in all her classes, and she shared all her classes with Clarisse, there was a lot of taunting. And to top it all off, it was incredibly hot and humid in the lovely state of New York. And humidity meant tons of frizz for Annabeth's hair, which she normally wouldn't mind, but she was feeling especially hateful towards the world today. So yes, Annabeth hadn't had the best day. But at least she got to go home.

Wait, no she didn't.

 _Percy_ , Annabeth thought. She wasn't mad. She definitely wasn't mad. Well, maybe a little. But not at Percy because that definitely wasn't fair to him. Annabeth took a deep breath and got into her car. After wrestling with her hair for a few minutes and forcing it into a ponytail, Annabeth started driving to Percy's house. It was now twenty minutes after the bell rang, and she hoped she wasn't too late. She pulled over next to what she thought was the right house and walked up to the door. She knocked confidently.

The door swung open almost immediately, revealing a smiling Percy. "Hey! I'm glad you came, I was worried you weren't gonna come, or you forgot or something... Anyway, come on in!"

Annabeth stepped inside, looking around. It wasn't a very large house, but it felt very homey and warm. She noted with interest that almost all of the furniture was blue. Briefly, she wondered if that was Percy's idea or his parents'. Percy led the way into a small dining room with white walls and a white table. But, once again, the chairs were blue. Percy turned around and gestured to the table. "You can put your stuff down on the ground or wherever you like. " He regarded her with interest and his brow furrowed. "Are you okay? You haven't said much... You don't have to help me, you know."

Annabeth turned away from the frames and met his eyes evenly. She didn't want him to be affected by her sour mood, so she forced a smile and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just looking around. You know, you have a lot of blue furniture." Percy looked a little less troubled, but not much.

"Ah, yes. That would be Percy's decision, It's only his absolute _favorite_ color." Percy's mom walked into the room, extending her hand with a smile. "Hi, Annabeth, I'm Sally Jackson, Percy's mom. Please call me Sally."

Annabeth shook her hand and smiled back. "It's nice to meet you, Sally." Percy looked delighted that his mom had entered the room, which was not the typical reaction from a teenage boy.

Sally looked at the two of them and cleared her throat. "Well, I'll be upstairs if you need me. There's cookies in the microwave. Good luck studying!" And with that, Sally disappeared upstairs. Percy sat down at the table and started getting his books and binder out, causing Annabeth to do the same.

Percy gawked at the number of books Annabeth pulled out of her backpack with a laugh. "Do you always carry that many books? How do all those fit into your bag? You must be a witch like Hermione..."

Annabeth shrugged, not thinking her amount of books was ridiculous at all. "Yeah, I always have these. And I might be a witch, you'll never know." She opened her Physics book and asked, "So what chapter is your Physics class on? We can start with that."

Percy looked at his notes, replying, "Chapter 4, I think. Yeah. Chapter 4." Annabeth stared at him pointedly, raising an eyebrow. "Definitely Chapter 4," Percy restated.

Annabeth smirked and started going through the main points of the chapter. She preferred Physics to Chemistry, mainly because of her teacher. In all actuality, she shouldn't have been taking both, but Annabeth made it her mission to take as many classes as possible, even if that meant mixing classes from separate years. Annabeth quizzed Percy on vocab and important concepts, and soon an hour and a half had passed. Once they got through the chapter, they both closed their books with relief.

Percy sighed. "I don't think I've studied that hard since the third grade spelling bee."

Annabeth laughed and replied, "Well, hopefully it won't be that long until you study like that again." She was surprised at how easy conversation was with Percy. She didn't have to force herself to be pleasant as much as normal. _And_ she was in a bad mood today. Or, at least, she was before she got to Percy's.

"So," Percy prompted, "are you going to tell me why you seemed a little off when you got here?" He leaned forward onto his elbows with an expectant look on his face.

Annabeth sighed, resolving to make a better effort of hiding her emotions next time he was around. "Well, I think I missed one or two questions on my Chem quiz, and Clarisse was being her normal annoying self, plus this humidity is killing my hair and me. But other than that, it was just another day."

Percy regarded her with interest, replying, "What did Clarisse do? And the humidity? How does that affect anything?" He looked genuinely confused.

Annabeth filled him in on Clarisse's taunting and how the humidity tended to make her hair go crazy.

Percy quickly replied, "Well, I think that your hair looks great." Annabeth could feel her neck heating up as she took in the compliment. She was taken aback at how... nice Percy's comment make her feel.

She cleared her throat, running a hand through her hair. "Thank you..." she replied.

Percy beamed at her, and his cheeks seemed a little pink. "So how about those cookies?" he asked.

Annabeth returned his smile, nodding at his suggestion.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of their study meet-up (because it wasn't a date, definitely not...) hadn't included much studying. And if she was being completely honest, Annabeth didn't mind that at all, which was a first.

When Annabeth said she had to go home, Percy walked her out of his house to her car. And then it became somewhat awkward, in Annabeth's opinion. Since they just met, they weren't sure how to say goodbye.

"Thanks for your help, it was really... helpful," Percy had said. He seemed a little nervous.

"No problem. I had a lot of fun, much more than I was expecting.." Annabeth replied. She looked down at the ground, suddenly very interested in the sidewalk.

Percy cleared his throat. "So, I'll see you tomorrow? Maybe?" He gave a small hopeful smile.

Annabeth looked up and nodded. "Yeah, definitely." Then, Percy did what Annabeth hadn't really expected.

He held up his hand for a high-five.

It took Annabeth a few moments to realize that he was serious, and she didn't want to be rude, so she high-fived him back. He gave her the goofiest grin as he said goodbye. She got into her car and rolled down the passenger window. "See you tomorrow!" she said to Percy.

He nodded and waved as she pulled away.

And now, here Annabeth was a few hours later, attempting to study Calculus but failing miserably, all because of a stupid high-five. She sighed and shifted her position in her chair at her desk. Her dad was away on a business trip, as per usual, so she had the house to herself. She got up and sat on her bed, playing with her phone.

On a whim, she called Piper, hoping she could help Annabeth somehow. "Hey, Annabeth! What's up?" Piper sounded like her normal cheery self.

"Hey, Piper. Uh, well... I'm having some trouble focusing on my homework, and... I don't know. I needed a distraction, I guess." Annabeth was hesitant to reveal any feelings to anyone, but she figured small talk was a start. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing well... just procrastinating, as usual. Though it's not like you to be distracted from schoolwork. What's the deal?" Piper was being alert as usual. Annabeth decided that it would be good for her to talk this through with her, so she dove right in.

Annabeth sighed. "Okay, so I just came back from tutoring Percy and-"

"Wait, Percy Jackson? Like, Jason's friend Percy?"

"Yep, that's the one. Anyway, it was really fun, and believe it or not we _did_ study. And it wasn't awkward at all until the end when we were saying goodbye. I thought...well, I didn't know what to think, but he high-fived me. Which is weird. Right?" Annabeth was uncertain in what exactly she was asking Piper, but she hoped Piper would offer some advice. Piper seemed to be some sort of accidental love expert, though she wouldn't say that because she was much too humble.

"Hmm, well... normal friends high-five all the time so, I don't really think-wait!"

Annabeth was startled. "What?" she quickly replied.

Piper suddenly sounded much more excited. She practically exclaimed, "It's only weird if you want to be more than friends! Do you _liiiiiike_ him?"

Annabeth started mumbling under her breath, knowing she should not have called Piper. She took a deep breath, replying, "Well, um.. I'm not quite sure. But I think it might be heading in that direction, as far as I can tell. So I don't know what to do. I mean, you know me, and you know I'm not into gushy feelings and over-analyzing how someone might've looked at me, but I'm just confused."

Piper quickly replied, talking incredibly fast. "Okay, so you like him, but you don't know what to do about it, and he high-fived you, which is weird. But it might not be weird because he might just see you as a friend. Now, let's see... What if you get to know him a little better, and then if you still like him, ask him to Homecoming?" Piper seemed a little breathless after her thought process was complete.

Annabeth rubbed the back of her neck, unsure. "You know, that actually sounds like a good idea. Or I could just do nothing about the whole situation, since I swore I wouldn't go to Homecoming..." Annabeth hoped Piper would let her get off easy.

She was wrong. "Oh, no, missy. No way. If I'm asking Jason to Homecoming, you're asking Percy. Got it?"

Annabeth reluctantly agreed. "Got it." Mrs. Crum would be thrilled.

Piper cheered, excited. Annabeth found it a little unsettling, how excited Piper was by Annabeth's pain. It really wasn't fair that Piper seemed to be fearless when it came to relationships. Piper's voice broke Annabeth out of her self-pity fest. "Great! Okay, now about Jason..."

Annabeth got up and went to her desk to close her Calculus book. She knew that she would be talking to Piper for at least an hour from then on.

* * *

Percy continued waving as Annabeth drove away, and as soon as she rounded the corner, he let his hand drop to his face, groaning. He began mumbling under his breath, "Stupid. So stupid. A high-five? Gosh, what is this, fifth grade? _Stupid_!"

Percy went back inside and told his mom he was going upstairs. As soon as he got to his room, he flopped on the bed, groaning and pulling out his phone.

 **P: grover send help i did something really dumb**

 **G: Doesn't surprise me... what was it?**

 **P: i mightve high fived Annabeth when she left my house and then waved at her...maybe**

It was a few minutes before Percy felt his phone buzz again.

 **G: HAHAHAHAHAHA sorry man I dropped my phone I was laughing so hard HAHAHAHa**

 **P: :(((((((((((((((( help what do i do**

 **G: Idk man this is your situation.. You're a smart cookie, you'll figure it out.**

 **P: thanks for the help youre a great best friend...**

 **G: B) bb I know**

Percy had to stop himself from throwing his phone across the room. He needed a plan. Yeah, a plan. Maybe he could sit with her at lunch? In the library?

"Ugh," He groaned, rolling over on his bed. He turned the TV on and absentmindedly watched whatever was on, procrastinating his homework.

* * *

The next day, Annabeth was back in the library. She was sitting in her normal corner, going over her history notes since she had a test next class.

"Hey, stranger. How's it going?" Annabeth looked up to see Percy smiling at her. She gestured for him to take a seat, hoping her face wasn't giving away too much. She was glad to see him, since they had no classes together.

"Everything's normal, I suppose. How about you?" Annabeth closed her book, and saw Percy's eyes look down at the textbook uncertainly.

"Oh, I'm fine. I didn't mean to interrupt you, you know. Feel free to keep studying if you need to. Then again, knowing you, you probably don't need to." He smiled and started getting his lunch out of his backpack.

"Well, I wouldn't say I don't _need_ to, but- what?" Annabeth looked up to find Percy smirking at her. "What's so amusing?"

Percy chuckled lightly, replying, "I find it funny that you're defending yourself when you're probably about to ace whatever you're studying for." He ran his hand through his messy black hair, somehow managing to make it even more unkempt than before.

Annabeth met his green eyes with her gray ones, replying, "Well, one can never be too sure. Do you have any tests coming up?" She raised her eyebrow challengingly, and Percy seemed a little flustered.

"Well, I uh... might have one in English today. Not sure though." Annabeth smirked, and Percy quickly replied, "Are you smirking at me, Wise Girl? Don't you know in some places that's considered rude?"

Annabeth leaned forward, countering, "Well, then I could tell you the same considering you were just smirking at me a few moments ago, Seaweed Brain."

Percy feigned hurt and held his hand up to his chest. "'Seaweed Brain'? You wound me!"

Annabeth laughed and replied, "It seemed fitting. Also, you started it when you called me Wise Girl."

Percy nodded, holding up his hands in surrender. "I suppose you're right. Truce?" He held out his hand for a handshake, and Annabeth took it, nodding. She then let her hand fall back to her lap. Percy may have been a little disappointed that he was no longer touching her.

Percy got out the book he had a test on in less than an hour and tried to study it, miserably failing. He heard Annabeth sigh and looked up to see her shaking her head. "What is it?" he asked.

Annabeth's eyes showed a tiny bit of surprise at him catching her shaking her head, but it quickly diminished. She answered, "I'm just wondering if you've looked at that book at all before now."

Percy's cheeks reddened, and he shifted in his chair. "Honestly? No. But please don't hurt me."

Annabeth laughed at that, amusement showing in her eyes. "Me hurting you? That's golden." Percy seemed a little intimidated by her. "Wipe that worried look off your face, I'm not gonna hurt you. Why didn't you read even a bit of it?"

Percy still looked uncomfortable, muttering a barely audible, "Well, I'm dyslexic, so reading's just not the most fun for me..." Annabeth looked at him with a mixture of surprise and empathy.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier? I'm also dyslexic, you know," Annabeth replied with sincerity and no tone of mocking or judgment. Percy looked up from where he was staring at his lunch to Annabeth. His face showed surprise and Annabeth regretted not telling him earlier.

"Oh, wow. But you read so much, and you like it! Reading and happiness just don't mix for me." He sighed and picked at his lunch slowly.

"Yeah, I read a lot, but it's not easy. And I'm not sure why I like it so much, I just always have. The stories are so interesting in almost everything..." Annabeth was still talking but Percy was no longer paying attention. He was staring at her and watching how animated she was becoming at just talking about reading. He really admired her passion.

"Percy? You okay?" Annabeth's voice snapped him out of his reverie about her.

He nodded curtly, replying, "Yep, I'm fine. Sorry about that." Annabeth told him it was no problem and proceeded to summarize the book Percy was supposed to have read. She was like a miracle and an encyclopedia in a person, and Percy had never been so grateful.

Before they knew it, the bell had rung, and Percy felt much more prepared for his test. He and Annabeth walked out of the library together, and once they had exited, they paused.

Annabeth gestured to the right, saying, "Well, I'm going this way. I'll see you later?"

Percy replied, "I'm going that way too, I'll walk with you." They started walking towards Annabeth's next class. Percy may have lied about which way his next class was, but he found it very worth it, considering he got to spend more time with Annabeth. Before he could lose his nerve, he asked, "Are you doing anything today after school? I was thinking about getting ice cream, and I was wondering if you'd like to come along." Percy hoped that he didn't look too eager, after all he didn't want to lose what coolness he still had left.

Annabeth was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. Pros: Percy. Cons: None? She replied, "Yeah, that sounds nice. Text me the address and I'll meet you there?"

Percy nodded in response. The pair continued to walk towards Annabeth's classroom until they reached it at the end of the hall. Annabeth looked suspicious. "Are you _sure_ your class was this way?" she asked as the five-minute warning bell rang. She had noticed that there were no other classrooms around.

Percy smiled, trying to hide his anxiousness to get to class on time. "Of course it is, it's just... over there." Percy gestured to the whole hallway unspecifically.

Annabeth nodded, being serious. "Ah yes, of course. The class that takes place in the hallway and isn't in any particular room. How could I have forgotten?" She smiled knowingly and started going into the classroom. "I'll see you after school, Seaweed Brain," she said with a smile.

Percy nodded and waved. "Yep, see you then Wise Girl."

Annabeth walked into her classroom at sat down at her desk near the door. She looked out the window in the door and could see Percy sprinting the direction they had just come from to get to class. She bit back her smile and shook her head, getting her notes for the class out.

Percy may have been late to class, but Annabeth didn't need to know that.

* * *

Percy's English test went as well as it could've, and he was pretty sure he scored a B. Annabeth felt uncertain about her History test, but it was later revealed that she aced it, of course.

As Annabeth left the school, she was excited for her outing with Percy, but she hadn't received the address for the ice cream place from Percy yet. She walked to her car slowly, hoping the text would come as she walked, but no luck. Right before she got in her car, she heard Percy's voice from a distance away.

"Annabeth! Annabeth, wait!" Percy shouted from far away. He sounded winded and very stressed out. Annabeth turned around to see him at the other end of the parking lot jogging toward her. She waited until he reached her to speak.

"What's wrong? You seem like you just ran a marathon." Percy was bent over trying to catch his breath.

Percy's reply came in short breaths. "It's not...swim season so...out of shape...ran from other end...anyway my phone...bad reception...couldn't send...ice cream..."

Annabeth took a few moments to decipher what he was saying, then repeated it back to him. "Okay, so you're out of shape because it's not swim season and you just ran from the other side of the school. And you ran because your phone had bad reception and couldn't send the address?"

Percy nodded as he stood up straight, slowly recovering from his previous state of fatigue. "I didn't want you to think I forgot or something when I spent all the time after my test pressing "Try Again" to send the text, and I didn't want you thinking I was a jerk."

Annabeth was surprised that he would run from the other end of the school to make sure she didn't think he had bailed on her. She wasn't too used to people doing anything out of the ordinary for her, considering her dad was always out of the house. But, at this point, she was used to it and didn't mind anymore since it was normal. On the other hand, she had to admit that despite Percy's pain, him running across the school was nice.

Finally she replied to Percy, "Oh...I wouldn't have thought you were a jerk, I'm not _that_ harsh..." She shook her head, a little amused. "Anyway, where are you parked? It might be easier if we just take my car, or I drop you off at yours if you're far away."

Percy nodded, agreeing with her and saying, "Yeah, I usually park on the street by the back of the school. So I guess we can get in your car then?" Annabeth nodded and they both sat down in her car.

Annabeth pulled out of the parking space and lot, with Percy giving her directions. She hadn't been to wherever they were going before. They talked about their interests, with Annabeth discovering that Percy had been on the Varsity swim team since freshman year. With both him and Annabeth being juniors in the current year, he was most likely going to be a captain the following year. And, if the blue cookies at Percy's house hadn't been enough of an indication, Percy absolutely loved any food that was blue. Annabeth had a feeling that if there were blue brussel sprouts some day, he would eat them. Despite the fact that brussel sprouts were awful.

Meanwhile, Percy found out that Annabeth was probably going to rule the world some day. It didn't matter that she wanted to be an architect, in his opinion, it would still happen somehow. She was just _that_ influential. He learned that her presence in ASB had nothing to do with her interest in politics, because she wasn't the biggest fan of politics. She would much rather be designing buildings. Also, her favorite color was lavender, and she usually did her homework as soon as she got home, because it's _Annabeth_. Percy was enamored with her, and if Grover was there he'd be telling Percy to tone it down.

As Annabeth pulled into the small parking lot where the ice cream place was, she was surprised at how deserted it was. It seemed a little run down, but some of Annabeth's favorite food places were small and not very well-known. She parked and they both got out of the car. Percy led the way to a small shop called Sally's, and Annabeth was wondering if there was any connection to Percy's mom as Percy held the door open for her.

Percy smiled, gesturing to the small room as she stepped inside. "Welcome to Sally's, my mom's ice cream shop. I should probably warn you that-"

"Percy! Annabeth! How nice to see you two. I'm _so_ glad you're here Annabeth." As Annabeth looked at the ice cream choices, Percy's mom winked at him, and he could feel a blush creeping its way up his neck. He loved his mom, but _really?_

Annabeth smiled genuinely and replied, "Thank you. I'm really glad to be here as well, and your place looks really nice." Annabeth continued looking at the ice cream choices.

Percy cleared his throat, saying, "Feel free to get whatever you want, it's on me. I challenge you to guess which one I'll get."

Annabeth smiled knowingly. "Hmm...It couldn't _possibly_ be the blue Birthday Cake ice cream? Also, it's not on you, I have money so don't worry about it."

Percy didn't know whether to narrow his eyes or smile, so he ended up doing a mixture of both. "Alright, but I owe you whatever your ice cream costs. And yes, I will be getting two scoops of Birthday Cake ice cream." He looked at his mom and smiled, and she seemed to be trying not to comment on their conversation. He was proud of her for trying.

Sally started scooping the ice cream, turning to Annabeth. She asked, "And what will you be getting, Annabeth?"

Annabeth contemplated the question before seeming determined. "I'll have the same as Percy, actually. I've been dying to see if blue food really is better than normal food." She looked at Percy and rose her eyebrow. He was trying hard not to smile.

Sally finished scooping the ice cream for them and rang both of them up at the register. Percy let out a sigh when Annabeth still insisted on paying, but he hoped he would have plenty of other times to try and pay for her food.

As soon as she was finished ringing them up, Sally left with a wave, saying, "I'll be in the back if you need me!" Percy smiled at her retreating figure.

Annabeth looked at him somewhat fondly. "You really love your mom, don't you?"

Percy was still smiling, and looked at Annabeth with interest as they sat down at one of the tables. "Yeah, I really do. And while it might seem lame, she's kinda the most important person in my life, so...yeah." Annabeth nodded in understanding. She didn't think it was that lame. "What about you? What's your mom like?"

Annabeth swallowed and looked at the table. "My mom and my dad are divorced, and once they got divorced when I was young she moved far away. She usually sends a few postcards a year, but other than that I don't see her much..."

Percy was surprised, but he tried not to show it. He nodded and said sincerely, "I'm sorry about that. But, if it makes any difference, I think you're great regardless of what your mom did or where she is. How's your ice cream?" Percy hoped he handled that in a good way. He didn't want to make Annabeth uncomfortable, and they barely knew each other. It was a tad too early for deep conversations about mothers who aren't in contact.

Annabeth seemed relieved at the change of subject, replying, "It's amazing, actually. Though whether that's because it's blue or because your mom made it, I'm not sure."

Percy replied, "I'd say it's a combination of both. Though it's a shame that more people don't come here because my mom's ice cream is really good..."

Annabeth agreed with him, responding, "Yeah, it is. You know, maybe someday I could organize a fundraiser here for the school. I think it'd be a win-win situation for everyone involved. People find out about Sally's, the school gets money..."

Percy nodded enthusiastically, smiling. "That would be great! Let me know if it's possible, and I can tell my mom, too. "

Annabeth replied that she would definitely do that, then asked Percy what TV shows he liked. They continued talking until they finished their ice cream and a little after, so it had been about half an hour by the time they left. Annabeth drove back to the school and Percy directed her to his car. They both got out of Annabeth's car.

Annabeth looked at Percy's car with amusement in her eyes. "Of _course_ it's blue," she said.

Percy smiled, replying, "Well yeah. There's no better color. Plus, luckily, blue cars are fairly common. I don't think I've ever seen a lavender car before."

"Yeah, you're right. It's a shame, I'm not sure why they don't make any. I, for one, think they'd be a huge success."

Percy laughed at her response. "You might be the only one to buy one, though. Anyway, thanks for coming with me, I hope you had a good time." He smiled shyly.

Annabeth smiled back, confident. "I did. Thanks for inviting me, I really enjoyed it. And I really hope I can organize that fundraiser soon, I'll keep you updated about it." Annabeth was determined not to receive another high-five, and Percy was determined not to give another one.

Percy smiled at her, saying, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Annabeth nodded, replying, "Yep, tomorrow." Percy held out his arms for a hug at the same time that Annabeth did, causing them to laugh while hugging. Percy tried not to focus on how Annabeth's hair smelled like lemons because he might groan from how perfect she was. Annabeth noticed that Percy's scent reminded her of the sea and she wouldn't have minded spending more time that close to him.

After a few seconds, they both pulled back, smiling. Annabeth then got into her car and rolled down the window closest to Percy. She said goodbye to him and waved before driving off. Percy waved back, as usual.

Except this time, after she turned the corner, Percy didn't smack himself on the forehead. Instead, he kept smiling and may have done a little dance before getting into his car and driving off.

Annabeth would've been lying if she had said her smile didn't last the whole way home.

* * *

Author's note: Homecoming themes are fun! When I looked them up, I found many different tempting names, the best of which was "Funkadelic Love". Trust me, I almost made that the theme, but decided it would make describing the actual dance somewhat difficult, so I went with the much cheesier "Written in the Stars".


	3. Chapter 3

As Annabeth got out of bed that morning, she felt much happier than usual. _Friday,_ she thought with an smile. She started getting ready for school but was interrupted when her phone rang.

"Hello?" Annabeth answered.

"Hey honey, it's me. Your dad. I know I said I would be back tonight, but something came up and I'm staying here longer." Annabeth wasn't surprised by this, since it happened almost every time he was out of town for business. She wasn't actually sure where he was this time since she had stopped trying to keep track. But since Annabeth was human, she was also a bit disappointed. _Woo_ , she thought. _More time home alone making mac 'n cheese for dinner._

Annabeth did her best to sound cheery. "Yeah, that's fine Dad. There's not really anything exciting happening here anyway," she said. _It's mostly true_ , she thought.

"Are you _sure?_ No parties or untrustworthy boys with unruly hair and captivating eyes?" Her dad may not have always been home, but he was still as embarrassing as most dads.

Annabeth half-groaned and half-laughed. She also tried to ignore the blush she could feel from thinking about Percy. "No, dad. No parties. Listen, I have to finish getting ready for school, but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay, Annabeth. And don't think I didn't notice how you avoided my statement about boys. I love you and I'll call you soon." Her dad hung up before Annabeth was able to tell him she loved him back.

Annabeth sighed, mostly out of slight disbelief. She was impressed her dad managed to pick up on her ignoring his statement, considering he was usually too distracted by his work to even hold a conversation. She'd tell him about Percy eventually, once she figured out what Percy was to her.

And, great. Now she was thinking about Percy, _again._ She was thinking about blue food and green eyes and a warm hug. Annabeth wasn't really used to thinking about any boy that much, let alone one boy.

Shaking her head in a futile attempt to clear her thoughts, she continued getting ready for school.

* * *

Annabeth walked into ASB with the optimistic thought that she wouldn't have to be in that room again until three days from then. Mrs. Crum greeted her with enthusiasm, and Annabeth did her best to mirror her attitude out of politeness.

Mrs. Crum opened the day's class discussion with the most important event of the moment: Homecoming. "Alright, folks," she said excitedly, "we have exactly one week until the Homecoming game, and then the dance is the day after that. I expect to see _all of you_ there, even if it's...as you kids say, 'Not your scene.'" She shot a pointed look at Annabeth. "Now, let's go over our plans again.."

Annabeth nodded along with her thoughts not exactly focused on what Mrs. Crum was saying. Annabeth would have to talk to Piper at some point today to try and figure out how she would ask Percy to the dance...

 _Maybe a poster? Flowers? No, that's what guys get girls,_ Annabeth thought. _Maybe I could get him everything blue I know of. Candy, cookies, blueberries, peacocks, the ocean..._

"Annabeth? Can you please go over our theme and all the people we are hiring?" Annabeth snapped out of her thoughts, nodding to make up for her surely blank expression a few moments before.

"Sure, Mrs. Crum. Our theme is 'Written in the Stars' and we will be hiring a DJ and a caterer." Mrs. Crum nodded and thanked Annabeth, continuing with her discussion of the plans.

Truthfully, Mrs. Crum surely could've said that part herself, but she probably noticed that Annabeth wasn't paying much attention. Annabeth did her best to look alert for the rest of class, and by the time the bell rang, she was sure she had made Mrs. Crum forget about her lack of attention at the beginning of class.

Annabeth left the classroom with a smile and wave at Mrs. Crum, but she was still thinking about how to ask Percy to Homecoming. She set off to find Piper and try to nail down an idea with her.

* * *

Percy was doing his best not to pout, but was failing miserably. Grover patted him on the back, reassuring him, "Hey man, turn that frown upside-down. I'm sure she's just at the lunch tables or something."

Percy knew that, of course, but he was still disappointed. He was hoping to get some more quality conversation in with Annabeth, but she wasn't there in the library like normal. He and Grover walked towards the library exit so they could head over to the lunch tables.

As they walked, Grover placed bets with himself on who would ask him to Homecoming. "I mean, Jessica Watson is still _totally_ into me, but she seems too shy to do it. And, it would be a _dream_ if Juniper asked me, but that's a little far-fetched, even for me. Even though I'm a total catch, right Perce?"

"Oh yes, a total catch. The freshest catch of all the catches..." Percy nearly smirked, but was stopped as Grover hit him on the shoulder. "Geez! What was that for?"

Grover shot him what was supposed to be a menacing look, replying, "I know what sarcasm is, dude. I'm a _master_ of sarcasm, in fact...What are you staring at?" Percy was no longer paying attention and was staring at the lunch tables. Grover followed his eyes, confused until he saw what Percy did.

There were _girls_ at their usual table. Percy was surprised to say the least. Jason, Nico, Leo, and Frank were still sitting there, but they had company. He recognized Piper, Hazel, Reyna, and _Annabeth_. Grover laughed and exclaimed, "Looks like it's your lucky day, dude! We should've just come here, apparently."

Percy nodded, and they both made their way to the table. He was glad he had found Annabeth, but was still wondering why she was at their table. His mind immediately turned to the worst possible explanation. _What if she likes Jason? Or even worse, Leo?_

Percy's grim thoughts were interrupted by Jason saying hello and gesturing for them to sit down. Annabeth moved over to make room next to her, and Percy gladly took the seat.

"Hey," he said, "fancy seeing you here." He hoped he was coming off as clever. Or something close to that, at least.

Annabeth smiled. "Hi. Yeah, I wasn't expecting to be here either, but Piper's on a mission, so..."

Percy raised his eyebrows and looked over at Piper a few seats down. She was leaning close to Jason and smiling at him with what seemed to be a whole lot of charm. Jason's eyes were practically heart-shaped. "Oh, yeah, I can see that now. It seems like she's succeeding."

Annabeth looked at her food and seemed lost in thought, and Percy was trying to think of something to say when her head snapped up and she looked at him with determination. "What's your favorite animal?" she asked quickly.

With the intense look in her eyes, Percy hadn't expected that to be her question. He tried not to laugh before replying, "Uh, I'm not sure. Anything from the sea, really. Why do you ask?"

Annabeth shrugged and tightened her ponytail. "No reason, really. How's your day been?" Annabeth made a mental note to not be so abrupt with her questioning in the future.

Percy also shrugged and said, "Average, I guess. I'm glad it's Friday, though. Now I have three to procrastinate on my homework instead of just one."

Annabeth laughed and nodded, replying, "Yeah, and it's more time to sleep..." She poked at her food, feeling somewhat uncertain about this conversation. She would like to hang out with Percy this weekend, but wasn't sure how likely that was to happen.

Percy swallowed and thought, _Now's your chance_. Preparing himself, he cleared his throat and nudged Annabeth with his elbow. "Hey, want to walk to the library with me? I have to get something from there." _Alright,_ Percy thought _, not exactly what I meant to say, but at least now if she rejects me we'll be alone...?_

Annabeth nodded and replied, "Sure. Let me get my stuff together."

As Annabeth packed up her stuff, Percy turned to Grover and told him he was going to the library with Annabeth. Grover raised his eyebrow and winked, and Percy resisted the urge to hit him. Turning back to Annabeth and seeing that she was ready, Percy and Annabeth stood up and said goodbye to the group. After receiving some weird looks and a thumbs up from Piper, the pair walked off.

As they walked, Percy and Annabeth talked about how they felt their tests from the previous day had gone. As Annabeth went through what she thought her mistakes were on the test, Percy built up some courage. Percy stopped walking, leaving Annabeth somewhat confused, but she stopped as well.

Percy took a deep breath and turned towards Annabeth. He cleared his throat and said, "Okay, so we aren't really going to the library, but I wanted to ask you something..." Annabeth looked somewhat confusedgave him a nod to go on. "I know we haven't really known each other for even a week, but I was wondering...Will you go on a date with me? Tonight? I've really enjoyed getting to know you this past week and would like to spend more time with you. Sorry, I know it's late notice and I should've-"

"Percy," Annabeth interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Tonight sounds great."

"Really? And as a date?"

"Yes, as a date. I've really enjoyed getting to know you too," Annabeth maintained her eye contact and tried not to blush (not that she succeeded, of course) as Percy's face broke into a grin.

Percy was feeling more than ecstatic. His smile faltered a little, though, as he said, "You know Annabeth, you can say no. I don't want you to feel like you have to say yes.."

Annabeth shook her head in disbelief. The fact that he was even saying that proved that she would be an idiot to turn down a date with him. Her crush on him was also incentive, of course. She replied, "I'm not saying yes because I feel like I have to, I'm saying yes because I _want_ to. What were you thinking we would do tonight?"

Percy smiled smugly and said, "It's a surprise. But I'll pick you up from your house at 6:00, if that works for you?"

Annabeth nodded, deciding that Percy picking her up from her house was fine. She wasn't sure about him going inside just yet, but hopefully that would change soon. "Yeah, that sounds great."

Both Annabeth and Percy were openly smiling, something not very common for both of them. As the bell rang, Percy asked Annabeth to text him her address, and she said that she would. He gave her another hug (because he could) as they left for class.

As Annabeth sat through her last class of the day, she thought about how horribly _boring_ Chemistry could be. She also thought about how she normally didn't like surprises, since she appreciated plans and agendas greatly. But, she realized, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to not have a plan for once.

* * *

After school, Percy rushed home and put his plans into motion. Yes, believe it or not, he _did_ have a plan, it would just take some arranging. He wasn't necessarily surprised that Annabeth had said yes, but he did have his doubts. She seemed far too smart for him, but he realized that she had done nothing to affirm that insecurity of his. In fact, Annabeth was ridiculously humble when it came to her grades and other successes. Percy found it admirable.

Snapping out of his Annabeth Appreciation Moment, Percy continued with his arrangement of their plans.

* * *

So, yes. Two hours earlier, Annabeth _had_ said that maybe not having a plan for once would be good. She had honestly believed that it could be fine, good, _great_ even to not have a plan. However, that was not currently the case. Because, at the current moment in time, the clock read 5:00pm and Annabeth was trying to get ready but realizing she had no idea what exactly she was getting ready for.

Curse Percy and his surprises.

Annabeth didn't know where Percy was taking her or what they were doing, whether they would be outside or inside, if the occasion was fancy or not, but that was fine. Yep, totally fine. No problems here. That's at least what Annabeth tried to tell herself as she laid out yet _another_ jacket on her bed. The truth was, she wasn't sure she even needed a jacket.

Though she didn't normally wear dresses too often, Annabeth decided she wanted to wear one for her date, so she put on her dark green skater dress. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, she grabbed a jacket and put on some flats. She put her hair down and put on some mascara and lip gloss, because she wanted to. Deeming her appearance "acceptable," she got her things together and waited for Percy to get to her house.

Annabeth was very excited for her date with Percy. Really, this was her first date with anyone, which was pretty special. Annabeth wasn't a sentimental touchy-feely person, but she could recognize how she felt around Percy and how she felt certain that she would have another date with him at some point. Provided that she didn't mess this one up, of course.

With that very positive thought, Annabeth heard the doorbell ring and opened the door to find Percy on her doorstep. He was wearing black jeans with a semi-formal button up shirt. His hair was somewhat styled (though Annabeth didn't think it needed to be), and Annabeth felt the want to touch it, but ignored it. She figured that wouldn't be the most appropriate thing to do.

Percy, however, was thinking the same thing of Annabeth. She looked stunning and he was amazed that he actually was going on a date with her. He snapped back into it and said, "Wow, Annabeth. You look amazing. Are you sure that you want to go on a date with me?"

Annabeth laughed and replied, "Yes, Seaweed Brain, I'm sure. You look pretty good, too." At this point, both of them were blushing, but neither of them minded.

Percy stepped aside and gestured towards the walkway, saying, "Should we go?"

Annabeth replied, "Well, that depends. I'm still not sure where we're going." Annabeth locked the front door and they both started down the walkway.

Percy laughed, "You'll find out when we get there. I promise that you'll like it." Or at least, he really hoped she would.

Annabeth knew Percy was right, but still recognized that she didn't like surprises. She kept that to herself, though, wanting to humor Percy. They both got into Percy's blue car and Percy started the engine. They were silent, but it wasn't awkward.

As Percy turned up the radio, he said to Annabeth, "You really do look beautiful Annabeth. Thank you for agreeing to come with me."

Annabeth blushed again, replying, "You make it sound like it's a chore to go on a date with you, Percy." She smiled, "I'm really glad that you asked me to come."

At that, Percy seemed to relax a little and he let himself openly smile. He still thought he was extremely lucky, and really wanted their date to go as he had planned. Percy kept driving, and asked Annabeth how her afternoon went.

"Nothing out of the ordinary happened, I guess. I have to admit that it was challenging getting ready for this date since I didn't know what to expect..."

Percy laughed, "You chose a good outfit, but really I'm not sure you could've chosen any outfit that wouldn't work for this."

Annabeth was glad to hear that, and looked outside the window. She didn't exactly recognize where they were, but they were getting closer to the ocean. The sun was starting to set, and she was wishing that it would set over the ocean. Regardless of that, though, the ocean was still beautiful.

Percy pulled into a parking lot for a few restaurants, so Annabeth still didn't know where they were going, but he parked and got out and opened her door for her. Percy smiled and said, "I know you don't need me to open the door for you, but I wanted to, so I did." Annabeth smirked at that, recalling their previous conversation that implied that Percy was somewhat afraid of her.

Percy and Annabeth walked down the sidewalk to the main part of the shopping center and he led her to a restaurant called "Dini's Seaside Restaurant." Annabeth hadn't heard of it, but it looked like a nice place. Percy held the door for her as they stepped inside and they walked to the hostess.

The hostess smiled at both of them, asking for their name. Percy replied, "Oh, I have a reservation under the name Percy Jackson."

The hostess looked at her list and nodded, saying, "Oh yes, Mr. Jackson. Follow me." Annabeth felt very grown up at that moment, and she could tell Percy felt the same way. When the hostess called him "Mr. Jackson" he raised his eyebrows at Annabeth and she fought the urge to smile. Once they reached their table, which had an ocean view, Percy pulled a chair out for Annabeth and she sat down. She didn't feel worried anymore, she only felt excited.

After Percy took his seat, he smiled and asked, "So what do you think?" He looked pretty excited, and Annabeth got the feeling that this was a special place to him.

Annabeth smiled back and replied truthfully, "This place seems great. I love the ocean view..." Annabeth looked out the window as Percy replied.

"Yeah, me too. My mom and I come here a lot when we go to the beach, so it's become one of my favorite restaurants. And it's not usually too busy, but I made a reservation just in case it was." Percy followed Annabeth's gaze to the ocean and looked fondly at it.

Annabeth saw how much sentimental Percy seemed as he looked at the ocean, and asked, "Do you like the ocean?" Percy turned back to her and smiled slightly, seeming to reminisce about the past.

"Yeah, you could say that... The ocean has always seemed so peaceful to me, and I just love how much life it holds and how powerful and grand it is. I think people take it for granted a lot of the time." He shook his head, saying, "Wow, I should write a love poem for the ocean or something, since I seem to love it that much.."

Annabeth was surprised Percy was embarrassed about what he had said. She shook her head back at him, replying, "I think it's great that you are that interested in the ocean." Percy looked surprised, so she continued, "I mean it. It seems to mean a lot to you and I don't think that's something to be embarrassed about."

Percy still seemed surprised, but he accepted her words. "Thanks for saying that. It means a lot. I guess I've just had a lot of good times near the ocean and it seems like a constant in my life." Annabeth nodded, and Percy continued, "Anyway, do you know what you are going to order? I always get the Chicken Parmesan."

Annabeth looked at the menu for the first time, saying, "I'm not sure what I want yet." The waiter came to their table shortly after that and asked for their drink orders. Percy asked for water and Annabeth ordered lemonade. They both also gave the waiter their food orders and he walked off.

After the waiter left, Percy looked at Annabeth and asked, "Is there anything that you feel a deep connection with? Like for me it's the ocean, is there anything for you? I know that's a pretty deep question, but..."

Annabeth looked thoughtful and replied, "Yeah, I guess there is something. I've always been really interested in architecture, which is designing buildings. I guess I just really admire how buildings keep us safe but some buildings can be so beautiful and make impressions on the world like the Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower."

Annabeth didn't want to come across as a nerd, but if that's what loving architecture made her, then oh well. Percy didn't think she was a nerd at all, though, and instead said, "That's really interesting. I can't say I've ever met someone who wanted to design buildings, but I'm sure that you'll be great at it. Do you know any people in architecture?"

"No, not exactly, but I'm hoping to do an internship for architecture next summer, and I think that'll give me experience and a real idea of what the job is like."

Percy and Annabeth continued their conversation through the rest of dinner, slowly learning more about each other. Annabeth was surprised at how conversations with Percy still felt so natural, and she was interested in everything he shared with her about his life. She learned more about how hard his mom works and all she does for him, as well as Percy's real passion for swimming as well as surfing, though he was better at the former than the latter.

Percy, similarly, was still enamored with Annabeth. He pictured her designing famous buildings for her ridiculously successful business someday. He learned that Annabeth missed her mom but was still upset that she left so suddenly. He felt that Annabeth deserved a mom as great as Sally, but unfortunately life was not always perfect.

Both of them had an amazing time during their dinner, and they both enjoyed their food (despite Percy having eaten that same dish multiple times before.) After dinner, they walked out of the restaurant and Percy led Annabeth to a beach path that went along the ocean.

As they started walking down the lamp-lit path in the dark night, Percy reached for Annabeth's hand and held it as they walked. Both of them smiled when he did this, and Percy cleared his throat, saying, "Annabeth?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to thank you again for coming with me tonight. I've had a great time and I hope you have too." Percy squeezed Annabeth's hand, and she squeezed his back.

"I've had a great time too Percy. Actually, I need to ask you something..." Annabeth hesitated, looking for a bench nearby. She pulled Percy towards it, and he didn't hide the confusion on his face.

Percy was about to ask her what she was doing when she spoke again. "Okay, I know that technically it's not girls-ask-guys or guys-ask-girls, so I think either way should be fine, so..." She let go of Percy's hand once they got to the bench and she set her purse down, opening it and pulling something out. She put it behind her back and faced Percy, taking a deep breath.

 _There's no reason to be nervous_ , she thought. _You just had an amazing date with him._ Annabeth cleared her throat and said confidently, "Don't feel pressured to say yes, but I would really like if we went to homecoming together. As a date." She held out what was behind her back, and Percy saw that they were blue cupcakes. "I also made these for you, or for us to share. Anyway, what do you say?"

Percy was surprised and also a little upset that she beat him to asking her, but he forgot that within two seconds as he beamed at her and said, "Of course I'll go to homecoming with you, Annabeth. I wouldn't want to go with anyone else."

Annabeth let out her breath, and smiled, "Really? That's great! Do you want a cupcake?" Annabeth held out the small container she had put the two cupcakes in to Percy.

Percy nodded and laughed, reaching out for one. "I hope you didn't think I would say no, because I would have to be really dumb to not go to homecoming with someone as amazing as you."

Once again, Annabeth was blushing, but she didn't mind at this point. She had asked Percy to homecoming, he had said yes, and their date was going even better than what she had hoped for. They both sat on the bench facing the dark ocean and grabbed cupcakes. They sat in comfortable silence as they ate their cupcakes, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere the ocean was providing.

Once they finished eating, Percy reached for Annabeth's hand again and she met him halfway. They continued to sit in silence until Annabeth cleared her throat and said, "Hey Percy?"

"Yes?," Percy replied.

Annabeth seemed hesitant, so Percy nudged her to reassure her. "Well, I was just wondering if you have a dad? Or a step-dad? You haven't mentioned either, so..."

Percy waited a second before responding. "Yeah, uh...Well my real dad was a captain for ships and he got lost at sea when I was really young. I don't exactly remember him, but my mom has always thought really highly of him and I think that they had an amazing relationship and love."

Annabeth nodded and squeezed his hand, replying, "That's good that your mom still thinks highly of him and there weren't hard feelings between them."

Percy replied quietly, "Yeah, you're right. Though, my mom still misses him sometimes and I really just want her to be happy, you know? So it's almost a bad thing that their relationship was good, if that makes any sense."

"That makes sense. I think it's really admirable how much you care about your mom. It sounds like she's a really amazing mom."

Percy smiled fondly, replying, "Yeah, she really is."

Annabeth felt intrusive for asking her previous question, so she said, "Thank you for sharing that information about your father with me."

Percy was surprised by her thank you, and replied, "Of course. I find that talking to you, even about emotional stuff like that, is really easy."

Annabeth smiled, saying, "I feel the same way."

They sat on the bench for a while longer, thinking about the ocean, peacefulness, and how much comfort they were already able to find in each other. They continued holding hands on the way to Percy's car as well as during the car ride back to Annabeth's house. Once they got there, Percy parked and finally let go of Annabeth's car to get out and open her door for her. They walked to the front door, and Percy thanked her once again for coming with him.

"Really, Percy, I had an amazing time. Thank _you_ for taking me," Annabeth said, smiling. Percy smiled back and held out his arms for a hug.

As Annabeth stepped into Percy's arms, she thought about how fitting it was that Percy smelled like the ocean, especially following the information he had shared with her tonight. Percy thought about the future, and how his hugs with Annabeth were some of the best hugs of his life. Their hug lasted much longer than their previous ones, and this time they took more comfort in each other.

Both of them were still smiling when they pulled away, and Annabeth thanked Percy again, saying she would see him soon. She opened her door and stepped inside, leaving Percy still smiling on her front step.

Once she was inside, with seemingly perfect timing, Annabeth's phone chimed, showing a message from Piper.

 **Piper: So? How did it go? Details now please!**

 **Annabeth: I'll call you in a sec, but it was really great. Extremely great, even.**

Annabeth kicked off her shoes and went up to her room, dialing Piper and preparing to debrief.

* * *

Percy, once home, saw he had a text from Grover.

 **Grover: Hey dude I hope you don't mess up your date tonight. Just kidding, you can do it. Good luck!**

Percy laughed at Grover's text and was relieved that the date had gone so well. He was still surprised that _Annabeth_ had asked _him_ to homecoming. It felt like a dream, and he decided he would revel in his happiness for a while before sharing the update with Grover.

He also had to figure out a way to avoid telling Grover that Annabeth had asked him to Homecoming before he had asked her.

Though, like Annabeth had said earlier, it didn't matter anyway.

He still had an amazing date to Homecoming in the end.

* * *

Author's note: Thanks for reading! To those who read this before Nov 22, 2016, I apologize for the lack of line breaks that made the POV shifts confusing. I finally figured out how to put them in, which should make the story a lot easier to read. Hopefully an update will be coming soon! As always, reviews are appreciated :)


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